Spotlight
by ishala8
Summary: Kya Aoki - a girl with a dark and mysterious past - suddenly appears in the modeling world only to become a goddess whose heavenly touch will allow anyone to reach the international stage. What will her effect be on Lele and two world-famous twins?
1. Chapter 1: Lonely Goddess

**Author's Note:** Characters from the actual manhua will appear at a much later time, but I really hope you enjoy this fic anyway. Also, if you are waiting for one of my other fics, I'm really sorry. I haven't abandoned them, but they are currently on hiatus.

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 1: Lonely Goddess_

By ishala8

* * *

Sitting in my aunt's imposing office and drinking tea surrounded by pictures of my diseased parents had to be one of the most painful experiences of my life. With my last relative, my grandfather on my father's side, now gone forever, my mother's sister was the last person who would take me in. Her goodwill, however, came at too high a price for me.

"Isn't there another way?" I asked yet again, desperate for an escape of my current predicament. "I'll do anything, anything but this."

"You are being unreasonable, Kya," commented my aunt unyieldingly. "Both your parents were world-famous supermodels. As their daughter, you've got the training, the skills, even the genes. Modeling is in your blood. It is ridiculous for you to try and deny such an obvious truth."

"Modeling killed them," I protested. "I refuse to follow the same path as them and slowly waste away like they did."

"Your parents were both extremely happy with their lives _and _careers, Kya," admonished the elder woman crossly. "You very well know that it was their competitors who caused that accident and not modeling itself. Start being reasonable now or you'll soon find yourself in the streets."

Grinding my teeth, I turned away, knowing full well that nothing would dissuade my aunt. Like her sister, Kasumi Inoue, had entered the fashion world at an extremely young age. An accomplished model herself, she had come to rank fifth in Japan before choosing to retire.

She had understood the hopelessness of the dreams she held during her youth and gave up on her career before ending in such a state where the new model generation could start ridiculing her. Now, I was her thump card. Even if I utterly failed as a model, she could sever all ties and refuse to further associate herself with me. If I was successful, however, she would use my position to advance herself and her modeling agency higher in the hierarchy of fashion.

Kasumi was never one to care about her tools, models, associates or even family. To her everything was a piece on a chess board, moving for her own advancement. I've always known that, still I'd never expected to fall in her grasping hands with no excuse for me to escape.

I've never depended on others, always choosing to fend for myself. I had always been alone, even when my parents had been alive. With them off in business trips or attending foreign parties, I was never included in their plans.

During photo shoots, I was the child sitting quietly in the corner, many times aiding the hair and makeup stylists when their assistants were 'too busy' to do their jobs. At home, I was the cook and maid, someone who took care of everything with as little inconvenience as possible to my parents.

When my parents died and I moved in with my illness prone grandfather, I became the one to provide the household's income, unable to rely on his for sustenance. With not enough money to get us through, I worked at a bar, where learned to defend myself against unwanted advances and stray punches. Then, when my grandfather entered the hospital in the last year of his life, too sick to actually survive on his own, I sold everything, including my body to pay for his expenses.

That year, I came to the notice of two very opposing sides of society. My years of picking up odd skills, the self defense classes I took as I grew older, my grace that came through my genes and relentless model training, as well as my uncanny skills in servicing the darker side of men made me the perfect undercover agent. Sought out by both the government as a bodyguard and the mafia as a seductress and inside informant, I accepted both jobs and was grateful for the pay.

Now at seventeen and in my last year of school, I was still adapting, though I wasn't yet considered old enough to be released from my status as a minor. I had to become tied down to my aunt just as I had become tied down to my darker occupation. Still, I would do things my own way. All I had to do was bargain for time to learn to adapt once again and then everything would be acceptable once more.

"Fine," I agreed with one of my best smiles, "I'll agree in signing a modeling contract with your agency, however, the contract will only last for three years. By the end of that time, you'll release any rights you might have over me and sever all familiar relations."

"Acceptable terms," she compensated, "_if _you manage to step up to the international stage within that time."

Again I smiled, a mysterious smile filled with aforementioned secrets and hidden confidence. "I'd think that was understood from the very beginning since it is you whom I'm setting a deal with."

She smiled in return and I knew we had an agreement. While my aunt would expect to control my every move, I was confident I could show her exactly what being a model implied. After all, she said so herself, I had been born and raised into this world. I belonged here more than anyone else ever did.

Then, on top of everything else, I was a girl so unlike any others who stepped into this world. No one, not even Kasumi could hope to compete against me.

* * *

The sound of the school's final bell overshadowed that of my ringing cell phone but I could still feel its distinct vibration in my fuku's front pocket. I so wanted to ignore it yet knew the option to be impossible. There were so few who held possession of this specific number and none of them were famous for their forgiveness when it came to insubordination.

"It's about time!" came my aunt's infuriated shout as I picked up and I held the phone further away from my ear, thanking Kami for allowing my caller to be the lesser of three evils. "Your first audition is tomorrow at eleven o'clock. Be on time, pass and don't you dare ridicule me. I've sent you more information via email."

With those few short sentences she hung up and I sighed before heading over to the lavish apartment in which I had been living this past month. I had signed the modeling contract the very same day I agreed to it, but this was to be my first assignment.

In a way, I was grateful for the small break my aunt had allowed me since it gave me time to settle things with Takeo – my mafia contact – and Kei – the 'handler' appointed to me by the government. At my sudden and surprising announcement, both sides had bombarded me with missions and meetings.

They were overjoyed since a modeling career would allow me greater freedom of movement for both their purposes. Still, that didn't mean that I could take a break in order to establish myself in the modeling world before completing all outstanding work with them before hand, thus and all the work.

Arriving at my apartment, I went straight to my desk and plopped onto the chair before flipping open my laptop screen. I had no time to play around, so I simply grabbed an apple to eat while scrolling through all the new emails I had received during the past eight hours. Seriously, was one day without work too much to ask for? Apparently so.

Replying to only the most urgent of mails, I finally located the one sent by my aunt and clicked it open. I nearly laughed at the irony of the theme for this particular photo shoot – succubus. How fitting, seeing that I was as close to one as someone could be in reality.

Downloading the attached form I got straight into filling it in, cursing Kasumi for her thoughtlessness.

Name: Kya Aoki

Age: 17

DOB: 26/04/19XX

Agency: LylaCB

3 Sizes: 34B-24-36

Height: 177

Eyes: Blue

Hair: length: extremely long

color: black

type: straight

Personality: Adaptable

It was depressing to actually see the form. Were all models so shallow that the personality field – the only one not focusing on appearance – had to be placed last? What sad lives they must all lead. Just thinking that I'd soon be entering that very same field was a dismal thought.

Mailing the form together with a recent picture, I decided on my clothes for the morning and hurried out to one of my missions. Today I had to be extra careful so as to not injure myself. Since it would be the last mission for a while, I wouldn't have to worry about acquiring any visible scars during any shoot, but it would make it difficult to qualify tomorrow if I sported any blemishes.

What a bother.

* * *

Despite my aunt thinking my mother's tardiness hereditary, I was at the audition perfectly on time the next morning. Entering the waiting room, I had to fight hard to conceal a shudder at the excess amounts of naked skin on display. For a brief moment, I had felt as one would when entering a butcher's shop!

Why did people hear succubus and immediately assume that you had to show up half nude? I mean, were those _bikinis_ two thirds of the models in the room were wearing? Surely they knew they were other ways in which you could seduce a man as well without making such a spectacle of themselves.

Those present hardly even spared a glance my way, seeing me in normal clothes and dismissing me right away. Dressed in a frilly but excessively short, black skirt, a plain white shirt with flowing white sleeves and fabric that clung to every curve enticingly, thigh-high black stockings, buckle littered combat boots and a thin red belt, I had my hair up in twin pigtails with myriads of free locks cascading around my face.

All in all I was a picture of innocent seduction, someone who could become deadly to men with a single look and right persuasion. Of course, my rivals all failed to see the dark allure surrounding my every move and dangerous beauty I had brought forth. To them, I was hardly anyone worth a glance, but to the judges I knew myself to be the perfect picture for a modern seductress.

I knew how to do this job, after all, I've been seducing and leading unsuspected men to their deaths these past two years. It wasn't something I was proud of, only a simple truth instead. I was a seductress and a killer, the perfect succubus of the twenty first century – innocent, enticing and deadly.

Leaning against a wall in a corner, I straightened the black armband I was wearing just above the elbow of my left arm and made sure the silver cross I had attached on my belt was still there. Satisfied with my appearance, I settled back and listened to the sounds in the room, picking up stray comments and smiling at one I heard about me.

"Look at that girl there," whispered an older model quite loudly to her friend, waving in my direction, "someone would think that she is headed for the children's audition in the studio across the street."

"Is she even wearing make up?" asked the other horrified, causing me to bend my head so as to hide a not-so-innocent smirk.

"Okay, everyone," called an organizer who suddenly appeared at the front of the room, "listen up. For this audition, you'll be called through in order of your numbers and will walk on the runway which we've set just through this curtain before posing for the photographer.

"The judges will award you points, but if the photographer isn't tempted to photograph you, you'll be returning here and heading home. If the photographer _does _snap a shot of you however, you'll be joining the judges on the seats provided to observe the rest of the contestants. That's all, so good luck, everyone!"

I found the idea quite interesting, seeing as many of the photographers were only tempted to photograph things that stood out and appealed to them the most. If the models didn't manage to attract their attention with their walk, manner and poses, there would be no way they'd inspire them enough to take a shot. It seemed that many would be eliminated pretty quickly.

Being one of the last in line with my number being forty-seven, I simply sat back and watched as the rest disappeared through the white curtain that separated them from their dreams. The number of models returning back in tears was certainly greater than expected.

As I waited for my turn, my attention was suddenly drawn to some disturbance taking place at the other side of the room. Some of the rejected models were making trouble for one of the younger girls and I couldn't help but rush to her aid the moment I heard her scream.

Approaching the scene were the company's employees were escorting the trouble-makers roughly outside, I felt my heart break at the sight. There on the ground was a girl maybe two years my senior. Dressed in a tight, Chinese-styled kimono the colour of mysterious darkness and framed with traces of red, she had to be one of the prettiest and most innocent models I'd seen in a long while.

Still, with half of her hair littering the ground, cut unevenly by her tormentors and her makeup running in rivers down her face together with her pained tears, she broke my heart. In a spilt moment's decision, I was on my knees besides her, smiling kindly.

"Hi," I greeted softly, "my name is Kya. What is yours?"

"Kay Lin," she managed through her tears and sniffles.

"Well, Kay Lin," I continued in the same soothing voice, "your number is just one ahead of my own so if you want to be ready in time to go out, you'll have to follow me quickly."

Too stunned to protest, she allowed me to drag her to a nearby preparation room. Paying one of the hairstylists and makeup artists who were still lingering about from some previous event or photo shoot, I borrowed their priceless equipment, not even noticing their hectic protests as I got down to work.

Within seconds, Kay Lin was transforming into the perfection she once was and the professionals were crowding over me, asking or tips and marveling at my work. Trimming both sides of her lush, copper curls so as to bring them evenly around her face, I caught half of it up so as to hide any imperfections and then focused on her makeup.

First, I washed her face clean of the old makeup, calming her and explaining everything I did as I went by. In order to conceal the damage caused by her tears, I focused on her sapphire eyes, building up her lashes with mascara and surrounding them both with dark shades of blue that matched her kimono.

With her pale complexion, rosy lips and popping eyes, she was the picture of mystery, an equivalent of my own image only older and much darker, without that misleading innocence about her. Done with my work, I turned her around, to allow her to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

"Do you like it?" I asked quietly and she nodded soundlessly.

"Where did you learn to _do _that?" demanded the hairstylists and I smiled at him mysteriously.

"I want to see _you_ spend twelve years sitting backstage in the fashion industry without picking up any tricks," I commended mysteriously, taking Kay Lin by the arm and handing her a blue carnation which I picked up from a nearby vase, I led her to the main room.

With most of the contestants gone by now, I smiled at her encouragingly as her name was called and pushed her forwards before quickly whispering something to the announcer. Looking at me and then at the money I had passed him in turns, he sighed and announced my number seconds after Kay Lin had disappeared on stage.

As pandemonium broke out amongst the judges and models at the appearance of two models walking the runway simultaneously, I walked up to Kay Lin, who was suffering from stage fright as I knew she would with her innocent nature. Grabbing her hand holding the flower, I brought it up to her nose so as to smell the carnation's soft and relaxing scent.

Startled, she turned to stare at me and I smiled at her seductively and she returned my smile, catching on to my game. We had become good friends during the few short minutes we spent together so now she trusted me as I passed her by confidently, turning and motioning for her to follow.

Step by step, we cat walked together. Confident in our steps, she smiling secretively behind her flower and I, leading the way with my unmatched poise, we had the photographers snapping pictures before we even stopped to pose.

At the end of the runway, I turned to give Kay Lin yet another smile before pulling her close and licking at her throat playfully. Hugging, touching and smiling, we played in front of the camera attracting not only the judges and photographers but also our rivals. It was fun, innocent and oh, so alluring, drawing everyone in, leaving them hanging with our every move.

We were models and I could see it in the eyes of the judges that they saw it too. _This_ was what it meant to be a model.

* * *

"Did you get through," my aunt's demanding question rang through the phone just as I exited the audition building.

I smirked. "Why, were you worried? Modeling runs in my genes after all."

"It's a yes or no question, Kya," she continued harshly and I replied with a soft yes and a sigh before she hung up satisfied.

Kay Lin had qualified with me, but there was no need for my aunt to know that, was there? After all, she wouldn't take well to knowing that I wouldn't be alone to star in this advertisement because I had thought to drag another model up with me.

She was someone who prided herself in being the best, but never bothering to give others a chance to reach her level. Unlike her, I was happy to drag others up with me. The competition made me want to try my best every single time and allowed me to understand that my skills truly did need work if I was ever to fall behind.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2: A Model's Job

**Author's Note:** There is actually a manhua character in this chapter, as well as the mention of two others!

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 2: A Model's Job_

By ishala8

* * *

"Yes, like that, just a bit to the right. Now turn your head to the camera… Perfect!"

Lying half-naked amidst white sheets and rose petals, Kay Lin and I posed with the male lead, following instructions perfectly. While I did the best I could under the given conditions – with my expressions being genuine and appropriate for the environment – the nerves I could feel coming from the other two were ruining my performance. Finally giving up, I sat up with a sigh.

"I'd like to request a ten minute break," I announced, ignoring the team's whines and protests as I stood and left the room, donning a silken robe on my way out.

It was as I sat at a table in the building's cafeteria with a cup of calming tea that Kay Lin approached me timidly. Looking up at her, she took the hint and joined me at the table, waiting silently as I called over a waiter to take her order.

"Why did you become a model, Kay Lin?" I asked her once the waiter was gone, leaving a glass of icy water in front of her.

"I…" she started, trailing off as I met her eyes causing her to look away. "My family moved here from Hong Kong when I was in my last years of High School. I didn't manage to adapt to the new language and culture in time so I don't really have any other talents. A model scout told me I could qualify so…"

For a long moment, I was silent analyzing the information she had disclosed in that soft, hesitant tone of hers. Behind her I could see Roy, the male star of the ad, taking a seat, listening in to our conversation attentively and I locked eyes with him for a short moment, communicating that my following words were to apply to him as well.

"What that tells me is that you've got no training," I explained at last, taking a sip from my tea and sighing contently at its warmth flow soothingly through my slender throat. "What you need to understand is that modeling is much like acting. A model had to forget about the camera, forget about the eyes observing their every move, bloke out the instructions which come out of desperation to make them do _something _and get into the role.

"Remember what we did at the audition?"

"Played?" she asked back in confusion and I beamed.

"Exactly! We are a pair of succubus. We dwell in hell and we are as dangerous as all the rest of the creatures who share our home. Dark, alluring, deadly, we come to the human world to play. We find an unsuspecting victim and pounce, playing with them, tricking them about our nature till the very last moment, when they have no hope of escaping our clutches even if they _do _realize. To us, this is all a game and we enjoy it to no end, letting neither morals nor dignity get in the way of our fun."

"But that's–"

"Dark?"

She nodded, causing me to smile mysteriously. Getting up, I left them both behind to ponder on my words as I made my way back to the shoot, where I allowed a makeup artist to freshen me up.

While I knew myself not to be good with advise, I believed that I could show them with actions. Surely we could make this shoot a success, all we had to do was work harmoniously together.

Soon enough, all three of us found ourselves in front of the cameras once more. Before the photographer attempted to get us into the mood once more, I didn't even hesitate before going for Kay Lin. Throwing her onto her back, I nipped at her throat before pulling back and smiling conspiratorially. Getting my drift, she shared my smile before we both turned on Roy.

Playing amongst ourselves and drawing our male lead in the fun as well, we had the photographer exclaiming over our poses and expressions, showering us with praise that never actually reached our ears. We were immersed in our role completely, ignoring our surroundings and being one with our characters.

* * *

"Despite your last job displaying like an unbecoming pile of bodies, I'll have to congratulate you on the astonishing number of requests you've brought in this week," commented my aunt while I remained silent.

She was bitter both over the fact that I wasn't the sole female in this so called ad and had also sold so well after simply one job. Kay Lin had emailed me the previous day to ask how I was doing and to let me know that she'd had three new job offers already. She begged me for some modeling training which I had agreed to give and informed me that two companies were fighting over which of the two would hire Roy for their newest advertisement.

I was satisfied with my work, meaning that Kasumi's insistent ridicule of it effected me none. Really, was it _my _fault that she hadn't had seven job offers after _her _first debut?

"Since your modeling skills are so _enthralling_," she continued sarcastically, "I believe you'll have no trouble completing _all _seven jobs that have been requested of you."

Knowing that it would hardly make a difference if I complained to her I said not a word. I was in Kasumi's black books at the moment so my only hope was to go along and hope she cooled off sooner rather than later. For now, I had to pray not to fail my last term of High School as I tried to juggle unreasonable modeling jobs with homework. I was in for a _long_ month ahead of me.

* * *

"No, no, no!" wailed the photographer, looking at me and my fellow models through his camera lens. "You got it wrong _again_!"

At his outbursts, the hassled support teams rushed in once more, taking us away to redo our hair, our makeup, our clothes… It's been like that for five hours already with the photographer agreeing to none of their suggestions and finding all their efforts diverge from the image he had in his head for his models.

With Chika, Alice and I all hardly out of school, the shoot had been supposed to progress quickly so as to not try our short patience. We were shooting for a famous jewelry firm, exhibiting many of their pieces.

The problem was that the nightlife setting the company had chosen as the theme, simply did not match the models they had decided on. We were too young to look well as those attending extravagant parties and too innocent to linger in expensive night clubs. All in all, the designers were stumped and the two other models were slowly but surely loosing their patience.

Seeing that this was going no where, I suddenly shooed my makeup artist away and stood up.

"Allow me," I told her gently, firmly taking the brush out of her hand.

Motioning for one of the assistants to bring the mirror closer, I looked at the clean canvas that was my face for inspiration, seeing my eyes light up as I got it. With a few swift brushes, I painted my face in pale colours, just barely touching my features, but bringing out the prominent shades of my complexion.

Satisfied, I turned to the artist who was fretting nearby and suddenly, she stopped breathing. For a long moment she stared and then she was moving, shouting names, firing instructions and pressing the brush in my hand as she pushed me towards the other models.

With a soft smile I touched their faces as I had done with mine, bringing out their most prominent features, enhancing them to perfection. While light blues had been used on my face, faint shades of lilac suited Chika best and Alice's countenance simply begged to be graced with golds and bold highlights.

By the time I was done, the team was bringing dresses our way lining them up for the fashion consultants to figure out. Unlike them, though, I wasn't lost. Moving forwards assuredly, I picked three dresses of pure white, all different and yet matching, blending together seamlessly.

From that point forwards, everything went as if choreographed. We all changed into our new clothes, the hairstylists were inspired to leave most of our hair down, curling them and blending jewels into small braids and locks. As a last touch, I instructed them of adjusting a bejeweled tiara on Alice's blond waves.

Upon seeing us, the photographer changed the whole room design and soon, we found ourselves posing on an antique, burgundy couch, with fine china sitting on a table to our left and a window looking to the dark, starry sky outside to our right.

Alice was sitting on the couch, with Chika and I sitting at her feet, leaning onto her and demanding attention much like a child would. With one arm, she was caressing Chika who was lying in her lap and with the other she was holding up an intricate earring which I was admiring. She was our princess and we her favored ladies being showered with both her jewels and attention.

* * *

The ad launched by the end of that same week and on the day of its release I was bathed by new offers as well as pleas to assist my previous coworkers. The studio's makeup artists were requesting a lesson with me and the photographer was thanking me for being the one to inspire his workers.

Apparently, my bold interference at the shoot had brought all workers at the studio in higher consideration amongst the fashion world and their job offers had increased as well. I was glad that everyone was happy and no scolding was coming my way from their side. My aunt had already reproached me for my unprofessional behaviour, so I guessed that there was nothing more to worry about until the next ad came out.

I had finished shooting for the clothes firm subsequent to the jewel ad and I was expecting it to show up as well, sooner or later. The firm was one famous for its evening wear designed specially for the young and prominent of the society.

Again I had failed to keep my mouth shut, so my innocent suggestion had escalated out of proportion pretty quick. I had though that it would have been nice for people to know that the clothes also allowed for excitement seeing as they were targeted towards the younger, fun-loving generations.

That suggestion had landed me in a tropic beach, wearing a sapphire formal dress that drew out my eyes, playing in the waves with the ad's male lead. With the setting sun behind us, hitting the tiny water droplets I had kicked up and my delicate jewelry, I had adored both its shooting and promotion.

For that, too, I had been subjected to an earful by Kasumi. Apparently, shooting beach commercials in the middle of winter wasn't something a model should readily volunteer to do. Even my arguments concerning the perfect state of my health and immune system held no weight with her.

Pretty quickly, I was coming to realize that there were some people against whom you just couldn't win. It wasn't exactly an appealing matter to dwell on.

* * *

My photographer's name for this next, perfume ad I'm shooting is Stephen. The perfume company thought to revive a theme they'd used a year past revolving around fairies. Three models were being used for the shoot, out of which I was the only Japanese, the other being one from China and the other from Taiwan.

When I first saw Stephen, he was drunk beyond return, stinking of cheap wine and still being more sober than most men I've met. Getting to know him proved to be an eye opening experience, especially when he kept reminiscing about the previous shoot.

Apparently, he saw me as Sakura with his cute bumblebee's personality. Asking his ever helpful assistant, I found out that the so-called 'bumblebee' was Lele Cane, one of Taiwan's current top models. Though I had heard about her in passing, Stephen's vivid descriptions over bowls of sashimi and glasses of alcohol made me yearn to work with her. While I could hardly say that we shared the same personality, she sounded like an intriguing person whom I could become great friends with.

On the first day of the shoot I met the other two models I would be working with and then asked to stand aside until their hairstyles were altered for the next day's shoot. Lijuan was the Chinese model standing shorter than me by two centimeters and slimmer in build. With hair falling just above her shoulders and flying in every which direction, she had to be the closest I've ever seen a human come to looking like a pixie.

On the other hand, Lynn was much like a faery. Her hair was long and the colour of fallen leaves in autumn, while her body was slightly tanned and more vibrant than that of either Lijuan or me. Being the taller and eldest of the two, she was surrounded by an aura of mystery and allure.

In a way, she was much like me, but I doubted her aura could originate from such hardships as mine did. From what I'd heard of her story, I was sure she had never had a hand in killing anyone and was most definitely never involved with either the mafia or her country government's dark side. Her hardship came from being cheated upon by her boyfriend before he ditched her for her best friend.

I had to say that no matter how much I liked her, I definitely couldn't share in her pain. After all, I was the young, innocent seventeen-year-old who presented herself as the most carefree person on Earth. No one even _knew _about the darker side of me that actually came up for more than just the right photo shoots.

It seemed that my hair was the only in the group that didn't need altering. With the hairstylists stumped as to how to style Lynn's hair and the make up artists at a loss when it came to applying Lijuan's make up, I was soon leaving my quiet corner and taking control of the situation.

Throwing ideas here and there, asking for both the model's opinions and that of the experts, I soon became an invaluable addition to the team as both a friend and assistant. By the end of that afternoon, I knew the preferences of both girls as well as half their life stories and was stuck with a dramatic Stephen hanging off my shoulders and crying his heart out with praise for his 'little girl who's growing up'.

Overall it was a pretty relaxing afternoon which I couldn't wait to repeat the next day. Of course I never spoke that view of mine out loud. With the support teams exhausted for the day's work and me having done the most of it all, I had to be crazy to be saying that it had been calming. Still, compared to what I was used to outside of my modeling career, it _was _pretty stress free.

* * *

The next day trouble appeared in the form of a foot long laceration running from my left shoulder to the centre of my chest. I had been called to do a last minute job for the mafia and had somehow found myself bedding a man whom – like Stephen – hadn't been as drunk as he had first appeared.

While I had managed to extract the necessary information out of him, he had caught onto my ploy quick enough to raise a knife against me before I managed to finish him off. Of course, he was now floating somewhere in Tokyo Bay keeping company to the pretty fishes dwelling underwater, but I was still left with an unsightly wound that would take a month to heal and would keep getting in the way of my shoots.

There was also the fact that I couldn't exactly explain such a scar without risking the chance of discovery, so I was only left with one other option – put my acting skills into effect. I hated tricking people, an ironic fact considering how every single thing I did in my life considered superb acting a must.

* * *

"I said no!" I repeated stubbornly, not even turning to look at the offered clothing article.

This same situation had been going on since early this morning and it was finally getting to the assistance team's nerves. I didn't care, they were going to bring me other clothes or I wouldn't be shooting, consequences be damned.

I was well and truly into my role of a spoiled child by now, with only Stephen's crying face appearing at the edge of my vision managing to snap me out of it, even for just a second. Apparently, that second of dropping my guard was long enough for Lynn, though.

By a twisted turn of fate, she grabbed onto my left shoulder, swirling me around roughly and giving me a thunderous expression. She didn't have time to say anything though, before a pained cry escaped me and fresh blood stained through my peach-coloured sweater and fresh bandages. In an instant, all attention was focused on my shoulder, as Lynn shakily pulled down my collar to reveal the wound and bandages.

"What happened?" she asked horrified, looking faint at the sight of so much blood.

I sighed resignedly at the new turn the situation had taken and removed my sweater so I could more easily tend to the wound.

"I was walking by a construction site on my way home last night," I explained convincingly, winching slightly as one of the members of the team gently unwrapped the bloodied bandage. "A sheet of metal simply grazed me as it fell, but the doctor assured me it wouldn't scar."

Now that the full extend of the wound was in plain sight, everyone stared at me in disbelief, but I refused to grace their silent question with an answer.

"If I'm no longer suited for this shoot, I understand," I continued softly, causing a pandemonium to break out.

"No," sounded Stephen's denial above all the rest as he moved closer to assess the damage done to my previously flawless skin. "We'll simply need to find you new outfits but I'm sure it'll be alright."

Smiling up at him gratefully, I turned to one of the frozen assistants by my side to request for antiseptics and some new bandages. With stuttered apologies, he hurried to find everything I needed, while those remaining behind fawned over me and kept inquiring about my health.

It was only as I was asked whether I was _sure _I wasn't in need of a doctor for the third time that I realized that it was going to be an extremely long and trying day for both my body and nerves.

"Kya," whispered Lijuan warily, "are you sure this pose isn't hurting you?"

I sighed. Yeah, a long, _long _day indeed.

* * *

It was just three months after my debut into the fashion world that I became known as the 'goddess'. Because of my knowledge of this kind of world, natural talent and leniency with helping others, everyone I ever worked with stepped up on the fashion hierarchy, making a bigger name for themselves.

After the perfume shoot was released, it had started to become obvious that it was exclusively my influence that brought on that sudden rise in fame for all I ever associated with. Everyone remembered the success of the previous shoot with a similar theme, but everyone agreed that nothing even close to what was happening this time around had ever been experienced by fashion world.

Because of my injuries during the shoot, everyone had mellowed down and the whole atmosphere surrounding both the workers and models had been calming, reflecting such a feeling within the produced work. Most of the pictures taken, showed a different side to models with Lijuan and Lynn – two models from different countries and backgrounds – aiding and supporting me – a girl they'd known for less than a day.

Not only did their peculiar actions perfectly blend in with the theme for the shoot, but they also attracted the public's attention as well as their own countries' big fashion names. Such behaviour and loyalty as the one they had exhibited in the fairy themed shoot was considered admirable by many, opening them countless of doors for the future. No one actually believed their expressions to be anything other than well performed roles, yet the valued and genuine feel they had achieved drew many who admired their skill.

The fashion designers with whom I worked at the shoot also let me know that designs of the clothes they had created exclusively for me had been requested by famous names and were bid upon for millions. Especially now that the public was starting to recognise me as 'the goddess' – both because of my rumoured 'golden touch' and 'fashion sense' – everyone wanted to buy a design I was the first to ever wear.

Even Stephen had been called to America to collaborate with Marshall in one of his latest shoots, receiving what he described as one of the greatest honors and a once in a lifetime opportunity many photographers didn't even dream of coming close to acquiring.

I was glad for them all and happy for their success. The only thing worrying me was my aunt's utter glee at my newly acquired title. Wasn't she the first to reprimand me every time I extended a hand out to someone?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3: Bumblebee

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 3: Bumblebee_

By ishala8

* * *

A request for me to appear in Taiwan for a catwalk came in and seeing as the government wants me to escort a prominent political figure to that very same fashion season I had no choice but to agree. After all, it would be a chance to get away from Japan and in turn, Kasumi's influence.

She was becoming excessively pushy lately seeing as I had graduated from school and could finally concentrate solely on my modeling career and promise to her. With her filling my schedules to the maximum and my missions for the underground also resuming, I was starting to lose sleep and become careless, risking yet another injury, one that wouldn't heal as seamlessly this time around.

So now here I was, attending grand parties in Taiwan, preparing for the fashion season and acting as arm candy for the pampered old man I was in charge of guarding. Seeing as Kei's instructions had stressed that I was to grand his every request as long as it did not put his life in danger, I soon found myself in his bed each night, lying on my back and spreading my legs open for his entertainment.

It was a position I should have long been used to and yet I just couldn't fandom how someone could ever _get _accustomed to such a job. I hated every moment of it, spending every possible moment I could sleeping out in the open so as to avoid the memories brought from lying in a bed.

Many would have been disgusted at themselves for living their lives as I did, but I had long accepted this side of me. It was the side that assured my survival and would do anything as long as it meant I would continue living despite how sullied that life would be.

While it wasn't necessarily a pretty part of me, I knew it held potential to turn into a deadly weapon was I ever to need it to act as such. Just two years past I had been faced with either the choice of binding myself to two different masters and loosing part of my freedom or loosing my life altogether.

My choice had been to keep on living for as long as my existence caused no lasting harm. With me existing to clean off most of the world's dirt, I was doing nothing I truly needed to repent for. If anything, the only thing I had to feel sorry for was allowing my sullied self to see a new day's light and associate with clean souls in every turn.

That was why I fought to help anyone I ever came across. As long as I was helpful, maybe association with me wasn't as hurtful for others as I might believe it to be. It was an empty hope, but one I kept alive with every breath and step I took. It was my only hope of ever justifying my selfish dependence on human company and false friendships.

It was wrong and yet all I had to live for.

* * *

Today was the first rehearsal for the show and I got to meet a surprising individual amongst the many models present. Stephen's bumblebee is here and yet she is so different from the one he described.

Her expressions aren't pure and free like the one he showed me in her past shots. I understand that time has passed since Stephen knew her, but I'm sure there is something else about her. There is a hurt and miserable aura that surrounds her, making me want to rush to her side and comfort her, take her pain away and yet I stand away, observing her and doing my job of protecting a useless bureaucrat.

Even here, I spread my influence, aiding the assisting staff and show director with the preparations and instruction of the models. No matter how much I promise myself not to interfere, I seem unable to help myself. Am I truly that hopeless?

Someone got mad at Lele today and she suddenly found herself standing in front of me, looking as defiant as ever as she awaited the reprimand that never came. Truly, I made an effort, but just couldn't hold in my laughter at her pouting face and cute determination.

"I'm glad that at least _some_ things haven't changed about you," I told her between laughs that didn't seem to cease in sight of her disbelieving appearance. "Thank Kami you still have it in you to cause trouble at every corner."

"Just who _are _you?" she demanded once she had regained her composure and I chuckled at her childishness.

"My name is Kya Aoki," I introduced myself playfully, "Japan's current number one model. As to how I know you, well! I just finished a photo shoot with Stephen just a month past. He just couldn't seem to stop talking about his 'adorable bumblebee'."

I couldn't help laughing louder at her cute blush and sheepish expression. "Don't worry, I won't repeat _all _the stories he told me about you if you don't want me to."

"Please don't!" she cried in horror, then paused. "Just _what_ did that old uncle say about me?"

Again I laughed.

From that point on we became the best of friends, always seen together around the show grounds. Lele was extremely inquisitive and interested to learn about everything I did and knew. While she proved to have no talent for hairstyling or applying makeup, she shared excellent stories about her friend, Young Qui and inquired after my own experiences as well.

Upon sharing stories, we even realized that our backgrounds held lots in common. Of course my life story had been a sugar coated version of events were my parents and aunt loved me and my grandfather had been one to provide for me and comfort me after my parents death. Still, I had to agree that there _were _considerable similarities between us both.

* * *

Because a small change in the program, Lele and I had been chosen to open the show, thing that caused much dispute amongst the models. With the organizers tired of their insistent nagging, they had been threatened enough to finally consider keeping their complaints quiet, or as quiet as spoilt celebrities possibly can.

"I can't believe they are allowing a Japanese nobody to open the show," one of the models whined loudly, ignoring my presence just two feet away.

"You idiot!" reprimanded another harshly. "That's Kya Aoki you are talking about – Japan's number one."

"Yeah, right! As if someone as young as her will ever rise to such a position."

"I'm more interested to know why they allowed that Cane-girl to walk anywhere _near _Japan's goddess," complained another, causing Lele to turn to me sharply.

"Goddess?" One of the models asked Lele's unspoken question and the girl turned to pay attention to the nearby conversation once more.

"What world do you live in?" demanded the model who had addressed my title in the first place. "The Japanese press has taken referring to Kya as the 'Fashion Goddess' or 'Golden-handed Goddess'. Rumor has it that anyone who is ever paired with her is sure to rise to the international stage."

Again Lele turned to stare at me a question playing on the tip of her tongue. At her bewildered expression I simply smirked so as to hide my uneasiness. Surely she wouldn't choose to end her friendship with me because of a rumor stating that association with my person led to advancement in the fashion hierarchy.

I had nothing to fear, right? She knew that no one would think less of her skills even if it was her friendship to me that caused her to become known world wide.

* * *

"You got hired by DGM?" I asked in surprise and Lele nodded hesitating in face of my unforeseen enthusiasm. "That's great!"

"What will you be doing after this, Kya?" Lele asked me quietly as I let go of her hand which I'd been holding while beaming at her.

As the older girl asked me that question, I suddenly felt a painful pang pierce my heart and had to turn away so as to hide from her the loneliness in my eyes. We were at the rooftop, Lele's favourite relaxation spot, taking a break from the fashion season's last party and as I turned, my eyes locked with the city's vibrant lights.

Everything looked so calm and beautiful from up here. It caused thoughts of the unthinkable to appear in my tired mind, causing me to wish for the freedom to explore this beauty I had seen from afar but was never allowed to approach.

My whole life I had been caged. While my parents were still alive, my cage had been one filled with colours, sounds and beauty. It had been the backstage of photo shoots and fashion shows in which I made my life, fighting to close my eyes and ignore the darkness that was the core of the lush apple they called the fashion world.

With beauty concealing the darkness in a model's heart, the jealously and the insane lengths one would go to succeed, I had believed nothing to be ugliest than that childhood cage which I knew so well by the age of twelve. I was wrong though, because the moment I stepped out of that cage I found myself locked in another, bigger and more repulsive than the last.

I was caught up in the underworld, the one place amongst the Earth were human sin thrived freely. Even now that my guard had loosened just a bit, the only two places I ever found myself in were either above or below humans, never amongst them. I was either swimming in their sins or pretending to be detached from them, attending grand parties and masquerading as a role model amongst others of my kind, the instigators of the sin, violence and suffering encountered in society.

"I'll return to Japan and receive my next assignment, I guess," I replied to Lele's question quietly, hiding my inner bitterness and turmoil.

All was silent for a long while before Lele made an attempt for conversation once more.

"I've been wondering for quite a while, but how come your Cantonese is so fluent?"

I smiled as one would when recalling fond memories, while knowing that in truth I held no such memories of any given point in my life.

"For as long as I can remember, I've always been sitting at the backstage of some shoot or other," came my quiet voice, taking on a soft, reminiscing tone. "With my parents on stage, more often than not it was the support teams – both those of my parents and their associate – who took care of me, teaching me little things here and there.

"By the age of ten I had learned everything there was to know so my parents started paying for language tutors to accompany me backstage the evening hours when I visited after school."

The truth had been that their agency had paid for my tutoring, thinking it to be a useful skill if I was ever needed to act as interpreter for my parents who refused to even learn English to go by. They both hated studying and my mother hadn't even bothered finishing high school before getting started on her modeling career.

Because of my position as their daughter and extremely high school grades, I had been deemed as 'convenient'. There was nothing romantic about it, simply another side of human greed.

My language lessons hadn't come to an end even after my parent's deaths. They were enforced by the government when they insisted on making me their agent, soon becoming my private hell amongst all other things that plagued my everyday life. It was after six years of this hell that I was finally deemed fluent in enough languages to be set free, much to my delight.

"Really?" beamed Lele excitedly, bringing a small smile to my own lips as well. "What other languages do you know then?"

"Other than Japanese and Cantonese?" I asked for confirmation and she nodded eagerly. "Mandarin, Korean, English, French, German and Swedish."

"W.O.W!" she exclaimed slowly with stars appearing in her innocent eyes.

"Are you drunk?" I asked worriedly at the sight of her adoring appearance and she suddenly turned serious and slapped my arm playfully.

"Meanie!" she pouted cutely and felt genuine amusement for the first time in a long while.

* * *

She accompanied me to the airport as it came the time for me to leave. With her childish expressions and innocent nature, she inspired a happiness I had never thought to find in me to bubble over. Even now as we sat at an airport café, drinking hot beverages and looking on upon the uptight party of bureaucrats I had accompanied to the show, she didn't cease to amuse me.

"I don't like that old man," she whined quietly. "He keeps looking our way as if we are food! Are you sure he is a high ranking government official?"

"You caught me," I admitted in an equally soft voice so as to not be overheard. "The truth is I picked him up from under a bridge, dressed him in priceless clothing and dragged him here so as to nauseate the other models who set eyes on him."

"Really?" she asked, eyes wide in horror, causing me to erupt in laughter.

"Of course not!" I managed once my laughter had subsided, leaving only small traces of mirth still dancing in my eyes. "As if I needed an old man to make my competition sick!"

Lele seemed to sigh in relief at that proclamation, before taking on quite a melancholy look.

"What is it?" I questioned her seriously, all my previous playfulness gone.

"Are you sure you can't stay a bit longer?" she asked, keeping her eyes locked to the table.

I sighed. "No, I'm sorry. But listen, Lele, you've got Young Qui here who cares about you and I swear I'll care for her when she comes to Japan. I'll make her a legendary make-up artist in no time so that she get back to your side as soon as possible.

"As for your aunt, you can't be so blind as to not notice her love for you. I might not know her reason for doing things the way she does, but you have to remember that not all people share the same beliefs. Maybe she is simply trying to strengthen you and make sure you are able to stand on your own two feet."

"I-I know but…" she was quiet for a moment before she suddenly looked up to face me, her eyes burning with determination. "You have to email me every week. Even when you are above Fiedna and look down on me from really high up you can't forget me, understood?"

With a soft smile I nodded and she continued.

"And you have to visit me for Christmas. I'll be all alone in a big city, so you'll come keep me company, okay?"

This time I refused to answer. None of my movements were my own to make, but surely I could arrange for something to be done in America around that time. Maybe some big photographer would sign me over for a shoot or maybe I could leak some information about the American mafia to either Kei or Takeo. Yes, it would work out, one way or another.

"Okay," I agreed with a determined nod, trying to convince myself more than her, "I promise I'll be in America to spend Christmas with you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4: May Rose

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 4: May Rose_

By ishala8

* * *

"You are to be at the meeting site by midnight, May," warned Takeo's voice through the phone and I sighed resignedly before repeating that I wasn't deaf or stupid and that I actually understood the warning the first time it had been uttered.

Finally switching off my phone and returning it to my handbag I entered the grand building in front of me to attend today's shoot. Upon returning to Japan from the fashion show in Taiwan work had swarmed me allowing not a moment for me to breathe. There were nights during which I caught not a wink of sleep.

It was ridiculous and I was starting to wonder how much more I could take before visible signs of my sleepless nights started appearing on my body. I was at a point where I was amazed how I could still maintain my position as Japan's goddess and still deal with everything asked of me during the nights.

I was only human and I was sure that human bodies were never meant to be put under so much strain. It was stupid but I was starting to find the hours posing in front of a camera as the most relaxing of my days.

The nights I spend bedding faceless figures who I forgot by the following morning, fighting against armed gangs on my own and then calling Takeo with an emotionless voice to ask him to dispose of the bodies, ignoring the feel of blood soaking my clothes and running down my skin…

My days were much the same, yet so different. I started out rushing to shoot after shoot, posing and helping and being the goddess that I was known to be. Then, it ended with me attending lunch and dinner dates with great political figures who flirted with me shamelessly and played with my body caring little about who was about to see. I was marked as their 'bodyguard' and they took pleasure in making use of their position of power over me so as to take advantage of my body.

By day, I was the supermodel Kya Aoki to all but those who knew the darker side with which I associated. They knew me by my other name, the one bathed in blood and stained with sin – May Rose.

Stunning and delicate, may roses are considered the prettiest of them all, ethereal in their grace and poise. While they aren't famed for their fragrance, they are said to be good enough to eat, suiting me perfectly since everyone wanted a taste of my forbidden flavour.

Yet, like me, they hide their dangerous nature flawlessly beneath their elegant blooms. Unlike other roses, they are graced with great thorns all over their stems, not even bothering with the soft prickles that act as warning for the insatiable pray in other varieties. Instead, may roses strike mercilessly, drawing the blood of anyone careless enough to touch them without the gardener's permission.

Lately, I had been reminded time and time again just who my 'gardeners' were, receiving countless warnings against forgetting my duty. It was all because of the girl I had taken time to establish in the Japanese fashion hierarchy that all this was happening.

Still, I hadn't had a choice. My schedule had been full and I had promised Lele I'd take care of Young Qui. It had gone against orders to take time to meet her at the airport, show her around, befriend her and introduce her to the cosmetic school she was to be attending. She needed my influence in order to open her way in the fashion world and even if it gained me punishment from my captors, I had promised Lele I would do everything in my power to return her friend back to her side.

* * *

"Congratulations," drawled Kasumi this one rare occasion in which I found myself sitting at her office.

She was holding up a glass of champagne while her secretary was passing me one of my own and I couldn't help but wonder what it was that was going on.

"May I ask what the occasion is?"

"I just singed a contract on your behalf-"

"How generous of you," I muttered receiving a dark glare for my interruption.

"You'll be co-staring in CDG's latest ad with Fiedna," she continued irritated, "with Marshall as your photographer. I've got no idea what you've done to make such legends of the fashion world want to fly half way around the world to work with you, but congratulations all the same."

"Em, thanks, I guess," I managed, not knowing how to react to this information.

Yes, it was great that I would be working with Fiedna and Marshall, but after everything I've suffered this past two years with all three of my jobs, many things had suddenly ceased to be important. After all, I hardly knew if I would survive till the following week anymore. In the first sign of incompetence I would be terminated, seeing as I was too valuable to fall in the hands of an enemy. If I started slipping, I would be captured by one of the many who had their eyes on me and Japan refused to allow such a thing to occur.

* * *

Sitting in a quiet café with Young Qui during one of my rare free hours, I listened to the other girl prattle excitedly about what she had been learning, her latest news from Lele and anything else she deemed to be of importance while smiling melancholy at her freedom and happiness. Giving the girl soft, half-hearted advice about her latest project, I noticed how she finally stopped talking and took in my appearance critically.

"Have you been sleeping?" she asked all of a sudden and I could only smile bitterly at her question. "Are you having nightmares?" she guessed, trying to prompt some proper reply out of me, something that I definitely didn't feel in the mood to give her. "Are you lonely? Is it your work?"

"Work," I replied at last, taking a sip of my cappuccino mechanically.

"You need to relax a bit," Young Qui commented after a while. "You've been appearing too much lately. I've only been around for six months and yet I see new advertisements of you appearing every single week. Not to mention all the TV appearances and interviews you've been attending each month. Have you thought of getting a boyfriend?"

At that comment I started choking on my drink.

"I guess not," she continued. "Why are you even doing this to yourself? You are already number one and I heard that your agent refuses to sign you over to any of the international agencies that are begging for you so why?"

"Everyone wants to appear, with the goddess," I replied mechanically. "While _I _don't have the option of advancing to the international stage as of yet, everyone I associate with does. Ever since that rumor about me proved to be true, everyone wants to be touched by my 'golden hand'. My aunt, loves to be worshiped as a god, so she simply signs me over to anyone who asks as long as she gets the credit. I have no control over her actions."

"You _aunt_?" she asked in horror and I nodded. "Your own relative is trying to burn you out?"

"Lele was blackmailed by her aunt on continuing with her contract and I was blackmailed by my aunt into entering the fashion world in the first place," I explained quietly. "She was jealous of her sister and since she died before she had a chance to punish her for it, I'm the one feeling the brunt of it."

"What do you mean?"

"She has signed me over to her agency for three years and our agreement is that I will step up to the international stage within those three years. Now that she sees that I'm already at the stage of fulfilling that clause of our contract, she is trying to prevent me from doing so. If she manages to keep me shackled within Japan for another year and a half, then I will have failed to fulfill my end of our contract and she will have the right to keep me under her agency for as long as she deems fit. _That _is what she wants."

"But if you burn out from the stress and workload you won't be of any use to her anyway," Young Qui pointed out and I smiled.

"She can always revive me after the three years are over. I've got the potential and she knows it."

"She is cheating," pouted the older girl.

"No," I countered, standing up and placing some bills on the table, "she is taking revenge. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to work."

"If she is playing dirty, why don't you make a deal with someone she can't say no to when they ask to buy your contract?" mumbled the aggravated girl under her breath as I turned around to leave, causing me to smirk evilly.

_Oh, but I have, Young Qui, I have. I've made a deal with the devil._

"Good luck with your assignment," I called over my shoulder as I walked to the car waiting to drive me to the lunch I was to attend.

* * *

Fiedna turned out just as I'd expected her to be, greedy and grasping, but still possessing a sweet enough side capable of fooling Lele into believing her an angel. Lele was too innocent for her own good and I was starting to wonder if I was doing the right thing by remaining her friend if it meant sullying her purity.

On the other hand, Marshall had to be one of the greatest photographers I had even come across. Unlike the others whom I had to prompt in the right direction or blow up at them before they realized that their theme simply did not match their models, he chose to speak to each one of us separately before even thinking about the concept.

With Fiedna he seemed to decide on her personality with extreme ease, proving my assumption that they had already worked together in the past. With me, though, he ran into a dead end. We had been sitting together for an hour and he still had to figure me out.

"You are hiding something," he stated at last and I smiled sweetly at him. "No, you are hiding everything."

"Have you got anything so far?"

"About your true personality, no," he admitted, "your façade, maybe."

"What's my façade?" I prompted.

"Bossy, innocent, motherly… You make no sense. Why did you agree to allow me to photograph you anyway?"

"I had no say in the matter," I replied bitterly, "my agent is the one who signs my contracts."

"You have no control over your career?" he asked again, seemingly interested in the subject.

"Have you seen my portfolio?" I asked changing the subject after I had awarded him with a mysterious smile.

"Yes, it is very impressive for someone who only appeared in the modeling world just eighteen months past."

"Didn't it tell you anything about me?"

"Yes," he agreed again, "other than the fact that you appeared when already at the level of a top model and continued only getting better from there, it let me know that you are an exemplary actress, slipping seamlessly into any and every role that is ever required of you."

"Well, then," I grinned knowingly, "I'll let you think on why that might be."

As I got up from my seat, my phone rang and I fished through my bag for it turning away from the man observing my every move in interest.

"You are needed at the port in half an hour," announced Takeo without even waiting for my greeting and I sighed.

"I can't possibly be anywhere right now, my day is full," I explained to him patiently.

"And _I _don't care what you have to cancel to make it," he retorted. "I understand you are in the middle of a shoot right now and I would hate for you to show up for it covered in bruises."

"That would raise no questions at all," I commented with dry sarcasm.

"Your government lackeys protect you don't they?" he asked mockingly, causing me to grind my teeth. "That means that we can do anything we want without fear of the public ever finding out. Isn't that lucky?"

"I'd say so," my voice was starting to sound bitter and I had to fight to act normal in light of my current audience.

"Now get to the location on time and please get information about the exchange _before _disposing of the ones responsible."

"I can't get it _after _if that's what you are implying."

"May!" he reprimanded, loosing his patience with my mocking retorts.

"Understood," I answered at last before hanging up on him.

"Trouble?" asked Marshall from behind me and I had to quickly hide my scowl as I turned to answer him.

"Of course not, simply a complication I have to take care of," I smiled gently, heading for the door. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

Walking away, I failed to see his thoughtful expression which definitely spoke of inspiration I wasn't sure to like.

* * *

Muffling a curse, I grabbed the knife flying my way and threw it towards the bodyguard whose bullet had managed to gaze my right upper arm. It got him on the throat and I sighed, feeling more at ease knowing that the last gun was now out of reach of anyone capable of using it, the dead didn't count.

_This _why I hated last minute jobs, because there was always wronged information in the haste my employers had made while compiling it. I had been told that one businessman was meeting with a local gang to finalize a trading agreement. No one even bothered to inform me about the five, fully trained bodyguards that would be accompanying him or the fact that the gang had actually sent ten representatives in place of the expected five.

So here I found myself, fighting for my life as usual as I desperately tried to keep at least one gang member alive for later questioning. Why did I always find myself in these kinds of situations?

* * *

"No," I said stubbornly, turning away from the proffered clothing and trying to ignore how familiar this scene was to me.

"But this is the eight dress you are refusing, the shoot has to start and-"

"Kya," called Marshall appearing in the room and cutting off the flustered wardrobe assistant, "can I please talk with you for a minute?"

"Of course," I replied, obediently leaving my seat on the plush couch and approaching the elder photographer.

"What's wrong with you today?" he asked quietly, pulling me to the side and away from prying ears or eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you are too professional to actually forget that a model doesn't have a say about what the photographer makes her wear," he replied.

I shifted uneasily under his piercing eyes and yet the weight didn't seem to rise off my shoulders.

"I… I grazed my arm on a fence yesterday," I lied meekly, trying to seem regretful for hurting myself and not for the lie I was so adamantly spluttering. "I'm truly sorry, I'll-"

"Show me," he ordered and I startled.

"Sir?" I asked uncertainly only for him to repeat the order with more force.

This time I said nothing as I dragged my sleeve down to reveal the tightly woven, white gauze.

"Unwrap it," he instructed and I did as he asked, unwrapping the prestige bandage with practiced ease. "This isn't your first time dealing with wounds," he noted and again I said nothing as he scrutinized the bloody graze.

"A fence indeed," he said after a while, motioning for me to rebind it. "And you seem very accustomed to taking orders," he continued when I didn't question him and instead did as he said.

He said nothing further but instead nodded as if confirming something with himself. After I was properly dressed once more, he simply took me by the arm and dragged me to the preparation room. Choosing one of the dresses quickly, he threw if to one of the assistants and told them to have me wear it while he started muttering something about a change in shooting location.

The dress he had chosen for me was a cream colour, close to gold, more like a princess dress or wedding gown than anything else. Hugging tightly the upper part of my body down to my hips, it then opened in a shower of lace and netting. While it hit the ground with its great length, its sweetheart neckline made me reluctant to adorn it until I saw the extra design.

There, coming off the edge of the right side of the dress was a series of golden frills matching the ones running along the edges of the satin parting on the gown's bottom half that opened to reveal the sheer material underneath. The string went around the arm, much like a strap would only much lower, passing exactly over my graze.

Thankful to the older photographer, I requested for a moment to change, leaving the support teams dumbfounded at the request. Seeing as models appeared half or completely naked half of the time I guessed it was only natural for my request to appear odd.

They granted it all the same and I got a few minutes to myself during which I unwrapped the wound yet again, cleaned and disinfected it before putting on the dress and using double sided tape to make sure the strap would stay where it should. Satisfied with my appearance, I finally stepped outside to see what was happening with the photo shoot.

Upon exiting the room in which I had changed into, I came upon a waiting Fiedna. Dressed much like me, she was wearing a gown similar to my own. Hers was a soft pink, flowing and uneven, made out of layer upon layer of sheer lace.

It would have been nothing more than a nightgown was it not for the royal red jacket she wore over it. Clipping to the front with a design resembling a silver butterfly adorning her chest and then flowing behind her loosely, it reached all the way to the ground to create a majestic trail.

Also, unlike my own strapless gown, I couldn't help but marvel at the protection her own overcoat provided with its two full sleeves. Puffing in two different places along her arms I couldn't doubt that its goal was to add class and poise, yet all I could focus on was how unfair it was that everyone was pestering the _injured _model to appear half naked. How unfair.

"Apparently we aren't changing shooting location," she informed me and I nodded to indicate I heard. "Marshall is simply having some new things brought over and is changing the lighting and the backgrounds and the props and… well, everything. Do you want to go get something to eat meanwhile?"

She beamed at me as I nodded wordlessly and dragged me out of the main studio after allowing two of the assistants to throw a robe over each of us so as to protect our dresses. We headed to the building's cafeteria and she took the initiative to order for us both, not that I really minded.

"So," she began as we waited for the waiter to return with our orders, "I was wondering why you looked so stressed, trouble with your boyfriend?"

Why did the word 'boyfriend' magically appear every time I was in the middle of swallowing a gulp of a beverage or other? This time I choked on _water_ of all things and fought to breathe so that I could answer her.

"Why does everyone just assume that I've got a boyfriend?" I complained childishly causing her to frown.

"You don't? I mean you're seventeen already, don't tell me you'll remain a cute little virgin until your wedding!"

She seemed horrified at the idea and I simply raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever gave you the idea I'm a virgin?"

Did the waiter just break a plate? What was _wrong_ with the world today?

"You are not?" for some unexplainable reason Fiedna seemed surprised at that information. "And here I was thinking that since there've been no scandals about you on the news you've been quite the goody-two-shoes. After all you _did _befriend Lele in Taiwan."

"I heard you were also attending that fashion show?" I asked in an attempt to stir the conversation towards a safer topic.

"Oh, yeah, I had to leave on the second day," she seemed kind of down for a second and then recovered in an instant. "I met my new love while I was away though, so that's alright?"

"Does Eros know?"

"What?" she asked startled and I merely blinked at her outburst.

"Lele might have mentioned something about you and Eros Lanson being together."

"Oh, _that_!" she exclaimed dismissively. "I'm sure he'll understand when I visit to tell him. He's never minded before."

I simply raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Who was _I _to comment on relationships?

* * *

Sitting in the dark, grey corner of a studio Marshall had created within the last hour I was amazed and extremely uncomfortable. Amazed because my photographer and crew had managed to create an abandoned castle dungeon out of nothing and uncomfortable because of many reasons.

For one, I was _literally _sitting in the corner of the dungeon, with my hands caught up above my head and my behind freezing as it stayed in contact with the unyielding floor. Then, there was the fact that I was covered in fake blood and bruises the makeup artists had taken quite a while to apply. And lastly, there were about twenty rose vines encircling my figure, their sharp thorns acting as my restrains.

Fiedna on the other hand, was standing in front of me observing the proceedings in interest. Unlike the tattered makeup that had been applied on me, she had been made to look every bit the noble woman and even had a tiara woven in her intricate hairstyle we'd been waiting the hairstylists to complete. Life was truly unfair.

"Okay," called Marshall at last, shooing all workers off the stage of the shoot, "Kya, Fiedna, here is your scenario."

He waited for a moment until he had both of our attention before continuing.

"Kya, you are a prisoner, having been kept locked in that same cell and dungeon too long to remember even why you were captured and Fiedna, you are a princess who's just assumed the throne after your father's death. You are visiting the dungeons to decide what is to happen with your father's prisoners and this is the first time you are both meeting. I want to see you interact."

Everyone in the studio had gone silent as he talked and they seemed to hold their breaths as Fiedna turned to me and our eyes locked. In the background we faintly heard Marshall's camera window clicking but everything suddenly felt too far away to be of actual importance.

There was only me and her in the room – no dungeon – seizing each other up. Both dressed as royals, but with me so powerless and sullied, I could see hesitation in her eyes. The newly appointed queen she was playing was at a loss, wanting to know why someone such as me would deserve the harsh punishment I was receiving.

I was there because of her father and she respected her father's wishes, yet she couldn't understand how the broken and seemingly innocent figure at her feet needed to suffer this fate which could only be described as one worse than death.

For me, it was different though. Having been captured and restrained for as long as I could remember, yet donning the dress of one of the upper class as a reminded of the power I had once been capable of commanding. I might have even been equal in status with this one girl who seemed so lost under that bejeweled crown so she had no right to look down on me.

Even if she chose to condemn me, I could still fight her, because I had no recollection of committing any wrong doing. I didn't belong in here and even if she refused to listen, I would keep repeating my words until they got through, I was nothing if not defiant.

One the lost bird who had fallen from it's nest and the other the graceful panther who had fallen pray to the hunter, we tiptoed around the other, saying not a word and yet communicating so deeply within the other's soul what each wanted to say.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5: Stepping Up

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 5: Stepping Up_

By ishala8

* * *

"I have to say I was curious to see what Marshall perceived your true nature as," commented my aunt sipping her coffee carefully and leafing through my latest album. "An imprisoned princess is hardly what I had in mind."

_That just goes to say how well you know me._

"However, that isn't why I called you here today." At those words I suddenly paid more attention. "Apparently the prime minister sent a letter, requesting that you accompany one of his envoys to America. While you are to act as arm candy – much like you did in Taiwan – he clearly states that you are to work parallel to that so as to better justify your presence."

And here I was thinking the favour I had worked so hard in acquiring wouldn't arrive in time for Christmas.

"Personally, I hate to watch you go," Kasumi continued in distaste, "but sadly, I've got no choice since only a single assistant is to accompany you on your trip. You'll be leaving Japan next week and your trip is to last three months as you are to return with the envoy. Please try not to make a fool of me or yourself."

Taking that as my dismissal, I stood, bowed and left the office with an evil smirk playing on my lips. _But I've already made a fool of you Kasumi._ I can't believe she actually didn't put up any more of a fight. Kei had been ready to have the prime minister call to appease her personally, should there been any trouble.

It had only taken a few complaints about how I was never allowed to have any of the missions outside Japan and an innocent mention of America being out of my aunt's control and still within that of the government so here I was. Of course the fact that Kei had had a very pleasurable night in my bed that very day I made the suggestion had helped; not to mention the many others whose bed I'd graced to have my request reach the prime minister but it was worth it.

I _was _making a deal with the devil after all. It was only fair I paid the price that came along with that properly.

* * *

Okay, I officially hate private jets and fourteen-hour flights, especially if it's a combination of the two. Seriously, do these men have no shame? They've even been chosen as the presidential envoy! It's a good thing these are not times of war or we'd all be dead by now with them in charge of peace treaties…

Of course it goes without saying that I'm not crazy to use such a word as hate to describe something as plain as jets and time. I'm sure you'd use the same if not stronger word if you'd just spent fourteen hours 'servicing' four grasping, insatiable men possessing not the slightest bit of honor.

_I'm_ ashamed of my actions these past hours, can't they at least, _try _to appear a bit remorseful? What's with those grins anyway? Kei is _so _dead when I get a hold of him. Since when did I become meat to be handed around for anyone's entertainment by his book?

Thank Kami I'm not sharing a hotel with them or I'd die. Good thing I'll be out of the country half the time as well, that way I won't be at their beck and call. Yes, I think I'll make it through these next three months with the least possible psychological scarring.

* * *

My assistant – who had gone ahead to decide on hotels, confirm my schedules and contracts – met me at the airport. It was a small grace, but one I appreciated all the same since it cut down the insistent groping to about half its previous intensity.

Yuka was a petite yet willful woman, chosen by my aunt for her tendency to take no decisions without the direct approval of someone of higher rank. That habit of hers would soon change seeing as I would be disappearing often enough after my arrival at the hotel, but I didn't need to worry her about that as of yet.

"A request arrived for you to star in ZAC's latest shoot," she was informing me now, causing me to frown. "Marshall recommended you and since he is to be the photographer, the owner couldn't refuse him. The male lead is to be Angus Lanson."

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have apologize and refuse them, Yuka," I said, truly meaning my words. I really _did_ want to work with those two. "I've already got something on for the next two weeks."

"But I've made no bookings," she protested and I smiled her way bitterly before searching through the airport gates for the other person I knew to be awaiting my arrival.

"Yuka, this is Kei," I said introducing her to the awaiting man, "you'll be confirming my schedule with him from not on."

* * *

"Nine days and you haven't found him?" raged Kei over the phone.

Doing my best to ignore him, I simply crossed over the road at the lights and pretended to act normal in the streets of a foreign city.

"He is not _here_," I repeated for the hundredth time. "I can't protect someone who has disappeared."

There was a long silence before he sighed. "Fine, you are allowed to come back."

"Understood, sir."

Climbing up the stairs to the small apartment at which I was supposed to have arrived two hours ago, I heard the voices coming out from behind the door.

* * *

"Just go to the shop," urged the male voice, "if she shows up I'll explain."

"But she should have been here," protested Lele's childish accent and I smiled upon hearing it, remembering happier days. "Are you sure nothing bad happened?"

Yearning to alleviate her fears as quick as possible, I wasted no time knocking on her door. I didn't even have time to think about the day's unexpected chill before the door in front of me was thrown open and an overexcited girl latched around my neck.

"Kya!" she exclaimed cheerily. "You are here! …What are you wearing?"

"Sorry, I had to rush from the airport and wasn't expecting it to actually be _snowing _here," I answered truthfully.

"But didn't you write to say you were coming two weeks ago? And where are your suitcases? Where are you staying? Do you want to stay here?"

"Lele, I'd love to answer all your questions but can I first come in? It's kind of freezing out here," I said, preventing any further questions from leaving the ecstatic girl's lips.

Suddenly she became sheepish and ushered me inside, raining apologies along the way. She introduced me to her roommate who seemed quite dazed at my sudden appearance and yet appeared very good natured if you ignored his intimidating physique. Not that I couldn't have killed him in an instant even if he was a trained soldier or bodyguard, but that was irrelevant at the present moment.

"I _did_ come to America two weeks ago, but had to leave for a job at Sweden right away," I started answering her questions once she had sat me down and handed me a warm mug of hot chocolate. "I just got back and my driver took my bags to the hotel at which my agency is renting a suite which I can't _not _make use of. I'm thankful of your offer, though."

We talked for a long time, focusing on her latest shoot, which just happened the one I had refused upon my arrival at the country, her 'dates' with Eros and Angus' unexpected side the photo shoot had brought out. After a while, she had to leave for the store I had heard her mention.

Apparently, they had forgotten some of the ingredients for the planned desert. While I had offered to go with her, she had insisted that guests weren't meant to be dragged along to run errands, especially when they were dressed so inappropriately for the weather.

As she stepped out, I was left with Leo. After a few moments of awkward silence, we started talking about Lele and our work and his boss and everything else we might have in common. Soon, the atmosphere between us took on a comfortable turn I hadn't expected it to take. I understood why someone like Lele would want him as a friend. I trusted him with her safety and told him so.

Later, our conversation moved back to the Lanson brothers who seemed to be a constant subject of conversation in this household. Leo even showed me his room where I couldn't help but note the telescope trained upon Eros' apartment. Even knowing it was wrong, I couldn't refuse the temptation.

What I saw through it though, was definitely _not_ what I had been expecting. Ignoring Leo's embarrassed excuses, I ran out of the apartment with a quick apology, leaving him looking after my disappearing figure dumbfounded.

I passed Lele at the stairs, barely managing to shout an excuse while also hiding my speed of movement which was hardly something a model had time to perfect. She seemed flustered as well and I knew that she had seen him, too – Duke Casare Gustave.

He was the target I had spent two weeks looking for in Sweden and I now felt like hitting myself for my stupidity. With all the trouble amongst his supporters of course he'd be here be here, forcing his son to take care of his problems.

"Listen up!" I heard his voice thunder as I climbed the building's staircase at a leisurely pace, knowing I was being observed by both Leo and Lele. "Since you know the reasons for my visit, I'll give you two months to return to Sweden."

Opening the apartment door soundlessly, I slipped inside and made my way to the living room from where the sounds seemed to be originating. It was a peculiar feeling to be tiptoeing around the apartment of the man my best friend was infatuated with, listening to him being threatened by the father who thought of him as nothing better than dirt under his feet.

"If not," he continued, "don't blame me if I'm forced to use an underhanded method to send you back forcefully."

With my lifestyle, I couldn't really say I was surprised at the scene I could see playing out in front of me from where I lingered in the shadows. Still, watching two children whom my best and only friend felt close to, fighting to appear unafraid in front of a man who used illegally acquired wealth as a sword with which to intimidate them, I felt my heart going out to them.

It was surprising since I always locked away my humanity when carrying out missions. But _knowing_ these men, realizing that Lele might be watching me, I just couldn't do things my usual way. So unlike my true nature, but fitting my loving façade perfectly, I came to a decision I was sure to regret later.

"And as for anyone who tries to stop it, let me make this clear!" his voice rang on, taking on an icy quality which he believed to be threatening. "I always use ruthless ways to eradicate 'obstacles'."

"I'm glad you think of me as ruthless," I commented, stepping into the room and drawing all attention to myself. Ignoring the aristocrat and his bodyguard for a moment, I turned to smile gently at the twins. "Sorry for intruding, but I seem to have some business to settle with his _'lordship'_."

With that, I walked up to the window and drew closed the blinds so as to obscure the scene from our invisible observers. As I turned back to the room, I heard a soft gasp and was more than prepared for the gun I came face to muzzle with.

No one saw me move. The twins had frozen and their father was inching away as I disappeared and reappeared behind his bodyguard, holding the gun that had been in his hand to his temple.

"That wasn't very smart," I commented patiently, stepping away and weighting the gun in my hand. "I think I'll be keeping this. Now, I'm sure you know I've been looking for you these past two weeks."

When the man simply turned to face me with a scowl I raised an eyebrow.

"The Japanese government has ordered me to act as your bodyguard," I informed him and saw him relax only slightly. "That is something I'm guessing you've arranged in favour of the mafia's orders which made sure I'd kill you on sight."

"Wait just a second, it is just a misun-"

Allowing him no time for pretexts I appeared in front of him, aiming the gun to his forehead.

"Didn't you just describe me as ruthless?" I demanded harshly, allowing my disposition to freeze over. "I simply follow orders without question. It is what you love about me, isn't it?"

"You were ordered to protect me," he protested helplessly, beads of sweat running freely down his face.

"No, I was ordered to kill you and I _always _deal with things the mafia way when two orders overlap," I corrected him before pulling back and turning my back to him. "Luckily for you, though, I'm willing to make an exception. Seeing as someone whose friendship I value greatly is nearby, I'll agree to spare your life so as they don't see me carrying your dead body out of here. However, there is one condition."

"You are in no position to make demands," the duke raged, causing me to turn back to him with a sweet smile.

"Oh, but this isn't a demand," I sang amiably, "merely a deal. I'll spare your life, do your dirty jobs and even please your supporters, if only you agree to never again come near your sons. My terms are agreeable, are they not? After all they are only a taint to your noble blood."

He laughed and I had to fight the shiver that threatened to rack my body at the horrid sound.

"They tempted even the May Rose with their impure blood?" he mocked between chuckles. "It seems that their worth is greater than first anticipated. As for your terms, they are as amusing as they come. What makes you think this world's nobility will welcome your desecrated body?"

I smirked confidently at his comment as I circled him seductively, placing an arm on his right shoulder as I walked around behind him.

"No one can resist a taste of my flower," I purred in his ear, licking just behind it playfully. "No one, not even you, my duke. You've already tasted it and still yearn for the forbidden, how pathetic for an aristocrat to give form to such base desires."

Huffing in amusement he disentangled himself from me and I let him, watching as he dusted himself off like one would an animal that would attack without warning.

"This ought to be amusing," he noted offhandedly as he motioned for his thunderous bodyguard to follow him out of the apartment. "Be in Sweden by the end of this month."

"Six days," I murmured in response to his order, "how generous of you."

He didn't hear me. The door was already banging shut after his exit and the engine of his luxurious car was starting up now that its owner was safely back inside.

Even after he was gone, I didn't move or talk, already finding it too hard to simply keep myself from collapsing were I stood. I knew I would regret it and I did, but it seemed I was destined to make deals with one demon after another.

_Repulsive, horrible, sickening._

Even _I _was a monster, too unclean to walk upon this world. It was only as I realized how risky what I'd done had just been – how easy it would have been for Lele to have simply walked in through the door without warning – that I understood just how stupid I'd been to think I was allowed anywhere near her purity. I didn't belong in her life, I wasn't needed, just like I was needed no where, a mere nuisance that had no place upon this world.

Maybe that's why I had chosen to take the actions I had just performed, make these decisions. I wanted to feel as if I was helping, as if I belonged somewhere, when in truth I wasn't. No one had ordered me to protect the twins, I'd just done it in an effort to seek approval from someone, anyone.

They didn't even _need _my help. It was all merely a pretence, a game on my part. One that made me feel as if my existence was desired, not as a mindless body in place to fulfill man's sins, but instead as a person. But I was fooling no one but myself. Kya or May, they didn't even exist, _I_ didn't even exist.

Marshall had seen me as a fierce, unbroken spirit held under chains and tortured by thorns of my own design. Maybe part of that was true and maybe that part was what I had fought to appear as. Of course my spirit wasn't broken, it didn't even _exist_. I was an empty shell, obeying instructions my whole life – pathetic, hopeless.

* * *

**Kya's Wardrobe Explained:** When she arrived in America the first time around, it was still considerably warm with not a snowdrop in sight. She left for Sweden only to experience extreme temperatures and return, seeking that remembered chill that could be taken care off by a light overcoat. That combined with her penchant for revealing clothing led to her appearing in front of Lele's door in nothing but a light dress, coat and heels. Overall, not what you would expect one to wear during a White Christmas Day.


	6. Chapter 6: Dark Side

**Author's Note:** I know I haven't updated in a very long while, but I'm studying law. That translates to zero time and zero imagination. Still, I unearthed this chapter and while I'm extremely dissatisfied with it I'm posting it since they say that something is better than nothing.

Have you been following the manhua? I haven't had time to read any of the updates so let me know if you are okay with me (slightly) deviating from the canon from this point on.

**Disclaimer:** This is merely a fanfiction written to appease my over zealous imagination and devoted readers. "The One" is a manhua owned and created by Nicky Lee; I claim no rights.

* * *

**Spotlight**

_Chapter 6: Dark Side_

By ishala8

* * *

"Who are you?" demanded one of the two twins, bringing me out of my reverie. Eros – Lele had mentioned something about Angus cutting his hair short, I remembered distantly.

"Kya Aoki," I replied as normally as I possibly could under the circumstances, yet not managing to conceal my bitter smile, "I'm sure you've recognized me. Japan's fashion goddess and its May Rose, the Queen of its underworld. A demon and a deity, how pathetic."

I didn't even know if I was answering his question anymore or simply speaking my thoughts out loud so as to not crack under the pressure.

"How do you know him?" Angus demanded and I swirled to look at him with dead eyes which sparked again with life after a conscious effort on my part.

My smile was an amused one, one that fit May's personality perfectly or even Kya's when she was in front of a camera lens. It didn't fit my face, whoever _I_ was, but that didn't matter. Someone who remained lost for too long ceased to exist and that was what seemed to have happened with the _real _me who had never been allowed to see the light of day.

"Your father?" I asked mockingly and I saw them both flinch at the mention of their relation to him. "I don't even think he remembers the first time I saw him. It was about two and a half years ago and I was fifteen. The government had sent me to accompany some business man or other to Sweden and the mafia had asked me to extract certain information out of Duke Casare Gustave.

"He might remember seeing me at a party but he definitely had no clue how he came to wake up in a hotel suite's bed the next morning, recovering from one of the greatest hangovers of his life."

I shook my head to clear it, wondering why I was even allowing these two strangers into my life. Maybe it was because they were mere bystanders, people not really involved with the darkness that made up my world. They'd seen my dark side, yet they said nothing about it as of yet. I _wanted _them to know, _wanted _them to turn away in disgust, see how it was that normal humans viewed me as.

"The second time he was visiting Japan and had hired me as his bodyguard and personal whore. Like any other, he became addicted to my flavour within the week he had me for his own. Despite the royal blood he is so proud of, he is a slave to his desire like a common animal, pitiable and weak."

When I was done, I searched their faces, surprised at not being able to recognise the emotions in their eyes. One pair shinned like the sun through the leaves of a rain-washed forest and the other like the moon behind thin blankets of wispy clouds. So different yet both holding the same unnamable sentiment. It was unnerving and I suddenly remembered that I had to go, not really an excuse, but a need that suddenly increased in magnitude because of their unnerving eyes.

Without another word, I turned to go, yet hesitated at the exit.

"When she comes asking about me," I said softly and without turning to face the two, knowing that they could hear me, "please lie, don't sully her innocence. Also tell her that Young Qui will be arriving soon and that I'm sorry that's the only promise I made her that I'm not breaking."

"Wait!" called Angus as I took yet another step away from them. "Just who do you want us to-"

He didn't get to finish as a car screeched to a halt outside the apartment, it's disturbing sound accompanied by shouts and the noise made by banging doors. The next thing I knew, Kei was standing in front of me, a murderous expression on his face. Yuka could be seen just behind him, rushing to catch up, but right now, she was the least of my worries.

Grabbing me by the throat, Kei pushed me back until my back collided with the nearest wall. Even as he held me up with a single arm, restricting my airways, I made no move to stop him, remaining impassive.

"When I ordered you to get back, I meant to the envoy hotel, on your back, pleasing our customers like the good little whore you are," he hissed furiously and I merely blinked. "I don't think you realize just how disposable you are-"

"I've heard it all before," I interrupted dully, bringing the gun laying forgotten in my arm to my temple in a pathetic attempt to threaten him with my death. "Disposable, worthless, unwanted, filthy-"

"Where did you get that?" he cut me off and I simply looked up at him with glassy eyes.

"I was following orders," came my mechanic reply, "the subject is secure."

"Casare?" He looked around. "Of course he'd be here."

Dropping me carelessly to the ground, I made no effort to break my fall, my defenses starting to fracture. Unlike other people, I just froze whenever I was reminded of the past or things became too much. That was why Kei hadn't been afraid I'd actually shoot myself, because I was half way into shock.

"You giant moron," screeched Yuka, running to my side and checking my throat, "she has a shoot tomorrow, you can't just maim her whenever you feel like it!"

"You might want to cancel it," Kei waved brusquely as he headed back towards the car waiting outside, "last time she went against the mafia, she was hospitalized for a month. I have to say, they are very creative with their punishments. Maybe if I knew some of their tricks she'd even obey me more often."

"Bastard!" barked Yuka and the man simply chuckled, not really caring about the other's insult.

"Kya, can you stand?" she asked me harshly and slapped me when I didn't give any indication of replying. Since I wasn't going to be shooting, who cared if I was covered in bruises? "Get up, you idiot. You have to get out of here before they start looking for you."

The mafia, right. They would come to administer my punishment and any witnesses would be eradicated. I had to get away. Shaking my head, I snapped out of it and got steadily to my feet, expertly hiding my true self once more.

"Right," I said, holding onto the wall behind me so as to retain my balance. "Have someone repack my suitcases with warmer dress as well as my work clothes," I instructed with authority I hardly felt as if I held. "I'm leaving again for Sweden in four days."

"But-"

"You'll also have someone pick me up from whenever it is Takeo calls to say he's dropped me off," I continued, allowing her no chance to protest.

I knew I would be in no condition to travel, but it didn't matter. I had a deal to withhold and I would.

* * *

Eros POV

I stood frozen on the spot for a while after the peculiar girl who had suddenly appeared before us disappeared in much the same fashion. Not all of what had been said in this past half hour had been fully understood, what with this girl switching from one language to the next without warning.

She had greeted us in English and then went off to talk to my father in Swedish, a language Angus understood much better than I did. From the horrified and disgusted look on his face, though, I had understood that whatever had been going on wasn't exactly innocent conversation. That was proven further when she started… flirting with him? Or was it seducing?

With Angus drawing closer and closer to my side like a frightened child and the gun the girl expertly wielded after her surprising display of skills when it came to disarming the bodyguard, I could tell that something was wrong. But my father was _laughing_, leaving all together after issuing what appeared to be an order.

As the girl went to leave, I had stopped her with a question. She seemed so familiar and yet I knew to have never before seen a girl who actually fit her bizarre personality and qualifications. Her reply was surprising. Of course I knew of Japan's most famous supermodel. I had even wondered what it would have been like working with the rumored goddess. But this was different, much different than the girl I had imagined Japan's fashion goddess to be like.

For someone supposed to have captured the hearts of all Japan with her sweet nature and charming looks, as well as her angel-like personality, she sure seemed to have a mean streak to her. Of course her role as the underworld's Queen could have something to do with that. So wounded and complicated.

Seeing as my brother had understood more than I did, I wasn't surprised to hear that he had actually developed a question Kya would have so much to talk about in her answer. What I heard was sickening and I suddenly understood why my brother had seemed so nauseous before.

This girl, whose name varied depending on the personality she chose to don, was being used much like Angus. However, unlike him, she was being used like that daily and by many. But that was her job, right? What right did she have to act so forlorn about it? It was the path she had chosen. Wasn't it? Looking at her lost expression that fought to conceal the insanity she harbored in the very depths of her eyes, I wasn't so sure about anything where she concerned anymore.

Then she had been about to leave, making an odd request before she was ambushed by some man who could be no more than thirty years of age. He'd spoken to her in what I believed to be Japanese and she hadn't even put up any resistance against him despite the fact that she couldn't possibly have been breathing with the tight hold he'd had around her throat.

They had finished speaking and the girl had been dropped to the ground much the same way as one would discard a broken doll. It had seemed weird to see a human being treated as an object to such a degree. I had even considered approaching her when this one other woman had stepped forwards and I had focused on Angus, who seemed to be trembling.

"Are you alright?" I'd asked quietly, but he had never gotten a chance to answer as the girl had started screeching in English and the man had switched to the same language so as to communicate with her.

Once I could understand what was being said, I had froze. A month? How much damage should a human being have suffered through before they must be sent to hospital for that long? And she was a model, how come her body had been left without scars to mark her ordeal? Did I even _want_ to know?

Now, I wasn't sure I should even approach or simply wait until everyone was gone before I tried to make sense out of everything that had happened. It seemed that I wouldn't have to be the one to make that decision though, since Angus suddenly stepped to the front.

"Wait," he called and the girl turned back to look at him questioningly. "Please, let me go with whoever it is that you send to pick her up."

I was shocked at his request. Why would he want to do that? Was he simply going after her like he would any other prize he ever set eyes upon? If so, this was definitely not the right time for it.

The girl, however, smirked knowingly at his words.

"Angus Lanson, right?" she asked mockingly. "Stay out of it. You don't belong in her world. She lives in the dark side of society, a place in which pampered rich kids simply don't belong."

"You know nothing about me, to come to that conclusion," Angus said with quiet rage burning through his voice.

"Oh, I know enough to know that she has no time for your games," replied the girl icily and I suddenly got this impression that she was trying to protect something. "The only ways to get near her are if you pay to have her, or if you are scheduled in a shoot with her. Otherwise, back off. She needs no more monsters of your kind; she has suffered enough."

With that, the girl turned to leave tears welling up in her eyes. She was protecting Kya? Again, I had no time to think as Lele barged in right after the car outside had left.

"Where is she?" she asked cagily, turning to lock her innocent eyes with my own. "What happened to Kya?"

In that moment, Kya's last instructions made sense and I repeated her words to Lele, mentioning nothing of what had truly happened. Not only Kya, but I as well, wanted to protect her innocence. She would no longer be Lele if she was exposed to the dangerous world in which Kya seemed to thrive.

Instead of calming down, however, the young model started to panic. Angus was looking as her with interest, still trying to come to terms with having something he asked for denied to him and I watched her as well, fighting the urge to take her in my arms so as to offer comfort.

"She can't break her promises," she cried desperately, hugging herself tightly and allowing tears to spill down her rosy cheeks. "She promised she'd spend Christmas with me and that she wouldn't forget me. She promised she'd email me, she can't stop being my friend!"

"Calm down," I soothed her, giving in to my urges and taking her in my arms. "Young Qui will be here soon. She's your best friend isn't she? She won't let you be lonely."

She shook her head in my chest, pulling away only slightly to look up at me with desperate eyes.

"You don't understand!" wailed the crying girl, holding onto my shirt as if it was a lifeline. "She'll loose herself! Kya has no one else! If she's left alone she'll disappear!"

"Lele, calm down," I ordered gently, leading her to seat on the couch.

"What do you mean?" asked Angus all of a sudden, looking at the broken girl intently and completely ignoring the fact that I was caring for her the way I had never allowed myself to care for him.

Slowly, Lele turned away from my chest to look at my brother with reddened eyes and a tear-stained face.

"Kya is a liar," she whispered brokenly, calming down gradually under my soft ministrations. "She told me that her parents loved her; that she was and is happy."

"Isn't she?" Angus asked back icily.

Lele shook her head, ignoring his cold tone as she continued. "Young Qui wrote to me last week. She was working at an agency where the owner knew Kya's parents. They hated her. Her mother came from a prestigious family and only got pregnant by mistake. Since it was too late to have an abortion by the time she found out, she was forced by her parents to marry the father so as to maintain her image.

"It was a loveless marriage where both parties did as they pleased, seeing their child as a horrible reminder of their mistake. Kya was practically raised by the backstage crews and was treated as a slave in her own house. She even had to clean after her parent's mess every time they had their different partners visit.

"The day Kya's parent's died, they had been out celebrating the deaths of her grandmother – the last remaining relative on her mother's side who had been the cause of them staying together for such a long time. They were to get a divorce the next morning and send Kya off to an orphanage."

By the time she was finished, only small tremors wracked Lele's body in response to the cruelty she was describing. Even I was disturbed by her words. While my situation had been similar, at least I had a brother and two parents who made an effort to keep up appearances for the first six years of my life. How would I have felt if I'd been alone and knew that I wasn't wanted since the day I was born?

"What happened after that?" continued Angus with his questioning, causing both Lele and I to stare at him in surprise. Why did he act so cold towards everyone all of a sudden? And just why was he so interested to know?

"No one knows," Lele replied at last, snuggling further into my chest as if seeking protection and support. "She simply disappeared, returning four years later. They say that she only came back because her aunt blackmailed her into entering the fashion industry."

"Blackmailed?" I asked in interest and she nodded.

"She lied about that too," she explained bitterly. "Her aunt held a grudge against her sister and has now forced Kya to sign a three-year contract with her agency using that time to take out her anger at her niece, the closest person alive to her sister. Apparently, she is preventing Kya from leaving Japan, since it is stated in their agreement that Kya will only be free by the end of three years if she has managed to reach the international stage."

"But she is here now, isn't she?" pointed out Angus, causing Lele to sigh sleepily.

"I was meaning to ask her about it today," she managed to say between yawns, "but…"

It was obvious that she was tired and I wanted to allow her the comfort of sleep. I would have if Angus hadn't been so persistent in his questioning.

"What else do you know?" he demanded, rousing the sleepy girl in my arms.

Lele blinked sluggishly, shook her head from side to side in something between loss and denial, and rested her forehead on my shoulder before tensing. Pulling away, she turned worried eyes to my twin.

"One of her last shoots was with Fiedna and Marshall," she told us worriedly.

"Fiedna?" I asked in interest and she nodded.

"That's all?" sounded my brother's harsh demand for an answer once again, causing me to throw a glare his way.

"No," replied Lele after a moment's hesitation. "Marshall said that the pictures that came out of that shoot are his worst work ever. Apparently, Kya was the first person whose true face failed to show through his lens."

"Do you have any of the pictures?" I asked unable to help myself, breaking our short, contemplative silence.

Without a word, the petite girl fished in the front pocket of her thick, winter coat to produce a folded picture which Angus came to appraise over my shoulder. It was obvious that the picture was a cut-out of a Japanese magazine that Lele had kept hold of for some reason or other.

Full of colour and yet so dark, it showed the very picture of the dark seductress that had appeared before us just a short while ago. Fiedna had been portrayed perfectly, her silent yearning to be recognized by those she looked up to apparent and yet it wasn't she who drew my eyes.

Like a colourful predator, Kya's bright sapphires shone with defiance as they pulled you in, drawing you to her until you could do nothing but wait for the moment she would strike ruthlessly and relentlessly. It was as if a storm of emotions hid in the very depths of this dark beauty's gaze. How was it possible for that to be merely a show? Surely that was the truth.

"Marshall wants another chance with her," explained Lele quietly, pulling both brothers' attention to herself, "but he keeps being turned away. While Kya is supposedly here to work, her assistant is instructed to cancel all scheduled shoots and no one knows why. This is her only chance to become world-famous and she won't take it. Everyone wants her, but she keeps turning them away."


End file.
